Combination ironing board and bench



Aug. 18, 1953 J. F. ROBERTS COMBINATION IRONING BOARD AND BENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 21', 1951 elais A INVENTOR. JOHN F. ROBERTS ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY JOHN F. ROBERTS v J. F. ROBERTS COMBINATION IRONING BOARD AND BENCH Aug. 18, 1953 Filed July 21, 1951 Patented Aug. 18, 1953 COIHBINATION IRONING BOARD AND BENCH John F. Roberts, Portland, reg., assignor of onehalf to F. K. Schneider, Newport, Oreg.

Application July 21, 1951, Serial No. 237,961

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to ironing boards and is particularly intended to combine the ironing board with a bench.

The primary object of the invention is to combine an ironing board with a bench wherein the ironing board can be raised to ironing position of any height.

Another object of the invention is to provide a storage place for the ironing board while not in use, and providing a bench representing a piece of furniture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bench whose top can be raised to any desired height, providing a seat for children at the table and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bench that can be used instead of a step ladder while reaching high place within the home.

Another object of the invention is to provide means within the combination ironing board and bench for the storage of irons and other implements used in connection with ironing.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawings, specification and claim.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates my new and improved ironing board and bench as it would appear while being used in the form of a bench.

Figure 2 illustrates my new and improved combination ironing board and bench in raised position as it would be used as an ironing board.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is another preferred form of locking mechanism for holding the ironing board in raised position.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an end sectional view taken on line fi6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line I-I of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective detail- View looking into the end of the ironing board, showing the auxiliary board in retracted position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

My new and improved combination ironing board and bench consists of a cabinet I, having a rear wall 2 and end walls 3 with a partial front wall 4, the said front wall being cut away as indicated in the drawings at 5. The top of the bench or ironing board is indicated by numeral 6. Extending downwardly from this board are end members or leg panels I. Directly under the ironing board 6 is a compartment 8, having a bottom 9. The end leg panels I are braced by the brackets III to the bottom 9, as best indicated in Figure 5. Located within the compartment 8 is an auxiliary ironing board II, the operation of which will be described later.

I willnow describe how my ironing board is brought into ironing position. The operator grasps the ends I2 of the ironing board or top of the bench 6 and raises the same from the position shown in Figure l to the position shown in Figure 2. The same is supported at any desired height by the pawls I3 in the following manner.

The pawls I3 are pivotally journalled to the upper part of the legs I by the brackets I4, the brackets I 4 being secured to the legs. The lower end of the pawls engage the notches, I5 formed in the cross members I6 within the cabinet I. The paw1 i forced to engage these notches by the action of the coil springs I'I, best illustrated in Figure 6. The pawls are preferably of full width of the cabinet as shown in Figures 4, 6 and '7, so that they will rigidly support the ironing board 6 while in ironing position.

A hand lever I8 is formed on the upper end of the pawl and extends out through the opening I9 so that the operator can grasp this lever, disconnecting the pawl from the notches I5 against the tension of the spring I'I, permitting the board to be lowered either completely or moved to a lower or higher position.

When the board 6 has been raised for ironing, the auxiliary board II can be extended out through the opening 20 at one end of the compartment 8, as best illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. Supporting rails 2| are fixedly secured to the underside of the board II and extend into the compartment 8 as indicated at 22. When the board is to be extended out through the opening 20, a locking bar 23 is withdrawn to the broken line position as indicated in Figure 6 allowing the rails 2| to clear the notch 25 and the end 26 of the bar, until the board has been extended its full distance when the shoulder 21 of the rails contact the locking bar limiting the further extension of the board II. The operator then pushes the locking bar 23 to the position shown in Figure 6, which raises the rails 2| and the board II to the position shown in Figure 5, supporting the same while the ironing takes place.

The locking bar 23 is withdrawn to the broken line position, or to the position permitting the extension or retraction of the board II through 1, or it can be used as an ironing board as illustrated in Figure 2. It can also belused lfonchildren to sit on in place of a high chair, "due to its adjustability. In this case the auxiliary board would not be extended. It nan-firrth'er housed in place of a step ladder in getting up-tohig-h places within the home, giving plenty of room to be able to move about in performing operations which would ordinarily require a step ladder;

What I claim is:

A bench-, cornprising ahollow-base-open' at the front, vertically-disposed, spaced-apart crossmembers extending from the front wall to the rear-wallet the base, the zcross members being spaced fromthe endwallsofthebase, and'having a series of teethon their outer surfaces, a

telescopic upper portion including a top, and cie- 4 pending leg panels which fit in-the hollow base between the end walls thereof and the crossmembers, wire frames pivotally mounted on the inside of the depending leg panels of the upper portion, the upper ends of the frames having bent portions to form handles, the handles extending through openings formed in the depending leg panels of'the upper portion, the lower ends of the wire frames engaging the teeth on the cross-members to adjustably support the upper portion, and springs between the wire frames and .the depending leg panels of the upper portion to. normally swing the lower ends of the wire frames in direction of the teeth.

' JOHN F. ROBERTS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 335,927 Holden Feb. 9, 1886 928,185- Dey July 13,1909

1,044,057" Kirby Nov. 12, 1912 1,540,616 I-lagopian June 2,1925 1,666,548 Anderson 'et al. s Apr. 17, 1928 2,098,157 Nuremberg 'Nov. 2, 1937 2,472,722 Newstead June 7, 1949 

